There are many issues within the gaming space right now, and one big concern is the use of AI in video game development. To be clear, AI is already used in video games, as that’s what programmers use to help create enemy actions in certain combat titles and to help ensure players feel that they’re in a “living world.” However, the kind that many protest is using AI to “generate content” beyond programming and making things like art assets or even voicing characters instead of real people. The head of Amazon Games was asked about this in light of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and his thoughts were…controversial at best.
IGN was the one who posed the question to Christoph Hartmann, who said this in reply:
“When we talk about AI, first of all, hopefully it will help us to have new gameplay ideas, which has nothing to do with taking work away from anyone. And especially for games, we don’t really have acting… The majority of the team sits in programming and that’s not going to go away because that’s all about innovation. If it takes something, it will be really the boring parts.”
That was definitely the wrong thing to say because there are PLENTY of titles that absolutely do have acting, as anyone who is cast in a voice acting role for a video game…is acting! Heck, Amazon Games is publishing the next Lara Croft title, and they will need an actress to bring her to life in a meaningful way.
The reason that the voice actors are striking is because there have been games and even other media properties that are trying to use AI voice replicators to take the place of the actual people. Some devices can even do “deep fake” recreations of people’s voices, making you think you’re hearing the actual person when you’re actually just hearing a program.
If that gets used across the industry, that WILL take away people’s jobs, as many people love voice acting for video games, animated series and beyond.
This also speaks to a rather common problem within the gaming industry and other entertainment media. Specifically, the problem of those at the top making all the money and then, when things don’t go a certain way, trying to “cheapen” product development so that they don’t have to keep spending so much to make quality products.
Removing voice actors and others who do true creative roles to replace them with AI is a bad idea, and that’s why so many who ACTUALLY develop video games are pushing back hard against AI.
